Sofia - Bulgarian police used teargas and batons Wednesday to disperse a protest in downtown Sofia, arresting around 30 violent demonstrators, local media reported.

Several police were also injured in the clash, chief commissioner Pavlin Dimitrov said.

Demonstrators, apparently including hooligan football fans, previously hurled snowballs and bottles at the parliament building and a police cordon keeping them at distance from the legislature.

The riot police moved in with force reportedly after receiving a tip that a bomb was set to explode at the scene.

The rally against Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev and for early elections drew around 1,000 people. (dpa)